Kate and Gerry McCann make visit to Portugal

Kate McCann has returned to Portugal for the first time since being quizzed by police over her daughter Madeleine's disappearance, her spokesman has told Sky.



Gerry and Kate McCann have returned to Portugal

The British woman was accompanied by her husband Gerry, both 41, for a series of meetings with their lawyers and other advisers in Lisbon, Clarence Mitchell said.
"They are planning to be there for one day. They are not going to Praia da Luz," Mr Mitchell went on.
She's always said she'll do anything necessary to keep the search for Madeleine alive.Clarence Mitchell on Kate McCan's return to Portugal

Madeleine was three when she went missing in the resort of Praia da Luz in May, 2007.
Adding that Mrs McCann was also to attend a press conference, Mr Mitchell said: "It is Kate's first visit back to Portugal since 2007 and it is difficult.

Madeleine vanished in 2007

"It's something that has always been daunting for her but she knew she would go back at some stage - and she's always said she'll do anything necessary to keep the search for Madeleine alive.
"If it means a trip to speak to the Portuguese media, then so be it. But she's always said she'll do anything to keep the inquiry alive."
One of the topics to be discussed will be the recent injunction against further publication of a book by former Portuguese police detective Goncalo Amaral.
Mr Amaral was involved in the initial investigation but was later taken off the case.
In his book, The Truth of the Lie, he claims that Madeleine is dead and questions the McCanns' account that she was taken while they were eating with friends nearby.

Goncalo Amaral

Earlier this month a Portuguese judge banned further sale or publication of the book.
The injunction meant Mr Amaral had to ensure that all unsold copies of the book were removed from shops and warehouses across Europe.
The injunction also banned him from repeating his claims about Madeleine or her parents, who are from Rothley, Leicestershire.
At one point, Portuguese police had made Kate and Gerry McCann "arguidos", or formal suspects, in their daughter's disappearance.
They were questioned by detectives but their arguidos status was later lifted.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Madeleines-McCann-Mum-Kate-Returns-To-Portugal/Article/200909415387352?lpos=World_News_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15387352_Madeleines_McCann_Mum_Kate_Returns_To_Portugal

How many times have the half-wits told themselves, "She'll never return to Portugal, she knows she'll be arrested? well, is this the action of a mother with a secret to hide?

http://latestnews.virginmedia.com/news/uk/2009/09/23/madeleine_parents_back_in_portugal


Kate McCann has returned to Portugal for the first time since being quizzed by police over her daughter Madeleine's disappearance.
Mrs McCann and her husband Gerry went to Lisbon to update their lawyers on the search for their daughter, who was three when she went missing in the resort of Praia da Luz in May 2007.
The couple's spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "I can confirm that Kate and Gerry McCann have this morning (Wednesday) returned to Portugal.
"They will be attending a series of meetings with their lawyers and advisers in Lisbon and they are planning to return to the UK tonight.
"Obviously, this is Kate's first return to Portugal since Madeleine's abduction and whilst this is undoubtedly difficult for her she remains determined to do whatever is necessary to assist in the search for her daughter."
One of the topics to be discussed will be the recent injunction against further publication of a book by former Portuguese police detective Goncalo Amaral. Mr Amaral was involved in the initial investigation but was later taken off the case.
In his book The Truth of the Lie he claims that Madeleine is dead and questions the McCanns' account that she was taken while they were eating with friends nearby.
Earlier this month a Portuguese judge banned further sale or publication of the book. The injunction meant Amaral had to ensure that all unsold copies of the book were removed from shops and warehouses across Europe.
The injunction also banned him from repeating his claims about Madeleine or her parents.
At one point Portuguese police made Kate and Gerry McCann "arguidos", or formal suspects, in their daughter's disappearance. They were questioned by detectives but their arguidos status was later lifted.

I agree with you Vee.

It will take only one little precious girl by the name of Madeleine, to get Kate McCann return to Portugal.

I hope, no I think for the sake of finding Madeleine, Kate and Gerry McCann will (or maybe have) ask the Attorney General of Portugal to re-open the investigation!!

If that is the case, then there is substancial evidence nescessary to get the case of the shelves.I hope I am right.

McCanns Lisbon Pressconference



Kate and Gerry McCann stated today in Lisbon that they have returned to Portugal to "find new leads and a strategy that allows to maximize the search" of their daughter Madeleine, who disappeared more than 2 years ago in the Algarve.

"It's a very important day for us and for the search of Madeleine. This can be a turning point in the search and we are willing to do whatever needs to be done to keep searching for our daughter" said Kate McCann, who spoke to the journalists together with her husband Gerry, in a press conference at a Lisbon Hotel.

The McCann couple, who have arrived today in Portugal, started by recalling that there were two judicial processes that concluded "that there are no evidences that Maddie is dead, or that we are, in anyway involved in her death".

in News Agency Lusa


Press conference

Uh....how do I add a You Tube video ????

First you need to copy the URL of the youtube link you want to post. (That's the www bit at the top of the screen) When you click to reply on here, at the top is a row of little buttons. Look for the one just to the right of the centre, that looks like a strip of film, or maybe like a ladder. Click on that, and paste the URL in there, then click OK. Then post. Hope this makes sense?

Cheers Vee my first one.

Good on you Kate and Gerry, I hope your message is heard loud and clear.

There is NO evidence to suggest Madeleine is dead, she remains a very findable little girl.

To say they are looking at a strategy to maximise the search, seems to me they possibly believe Madeleine may still be in or around the area. I believe this is what Dave Edgar feels too, is it possible they were seeking some kind of cooperation with the PJ ?.

Do they have new information significant enough to request the case be reopened ?

Oh so many questions!

christabel wrote:

Cheers Vee my first one.

Hi Chris, do you have a link aswell ? for some reason I cannot view videos on the forum :-(

Hi Tinks its not the conference though, just an ITN report

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7nYj5p8InA

This is an excerpt of the conference...have tried to put the video on...shows on the preview but not when I have clicked 'send'...don't know what I as doing wrong...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8LJ69j2AXI

Zavvi wrote:This is an excerpt of the conference...have tried to put the video on...shows on the preview but not when I have clicked 'send'...don't know what I as doing wrong...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8LJ69j2AXI

Here you are Zavvi




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8LJ69j2AXI

Zavvi wrote:This is an excerpt of the conference...have tried to put the video on...shows on the preview but not when I have clicked 'send'...don't know what I as doing wrong...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8LJ69j2AXI

christabel wrote:

Zavvi wrote:This is an excerpt of the conference...have tried to put the video on...shows on the preview but not when I have clicked 'send'...don't know what I as doing wrong...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8LJ69j2AXI

Here you are Zavvi




[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8LJ69j2AXI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8LJ69j2AXI[/quote[/url]]

Oh fudge! That was bad timing!

"A turning point in the search".....there is something in this. But what?

Thanks for the lesson Vee....it was the same video, tnx.

Yes for me it can only mean that McCann asked the attorney-general to re-open the case. It also means that, coming from the McCanns, firm evidence has been prestented, the only way to break the case open.

So we just wait and see what tomorrow of the day after brings..any news coming from Portugal.

I hope I am right.

Rosemary

"A turning point in the search", is very interesting, isnt it? Why would this be, and why now? It could be the injunction against Amaral, but IMO, it would be better to wait until the libel case is over. Have potential new leads been uncovered? Or is it just a new push to coincide with the publicity of the libel case?

Whatever it is, I hope it brings them one step closer to getting Madeleine home.

Or is it just a new push to coincide with the publicity of the libel case?

Dianeh, You think like I do at times! lol

Spooky, isnt it!!!!!!!

I understand that the PJ would reopen the case only if there was enough substantial new leads or evidence to do so. Well, maybe this is what yesterday was about, as well as chatting about Goncalo? What else could "a turning point - IN THE SEARCH " - mean?

McCanns return to Portugal in search of Madeleine - and to sue police chief

• Parents try to convince locals daughter is alive
• Visit also used to finalise plans to sue police Matthew Taylor and Esther Addley
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 23 September 2009 21.40 BST
Article history



Picture of missing Madeleine, and as she may look now Photograph: PA

The parents of missing girl Madeleine McCann returned to Portugal today to launch a fresh charm offensive aimed at convincing sceptical locals that there is still hope of finding her alive.
The day-long trip, which was also used to finalise plans to sue the former police detective Gonçalo Amaral, who has been openly suspicious of the couple, was the first time Madeleine's mother, Kate McCann, had returned to the country since being named as suspect in her disappearance in May 2007.
The McCanns met lawyers and legal advisers before holding a briefing with local journalists where Kate said it was crucial that they had the support of the Portuguese people.
"This is a very important day for us in the search for Madeleine," she told reporters. "This could be the turning point in the search for our daughter."
The talks with their Portuguese lawyers chiefly concerned the ongoing battle with the former police detective Amaral, who led the initial inquiry into the disappearance of Madeleine, aged three.
The are planning to sue Amaral for €1.2m for allegations he made in his book The Truth of the Lie, in which he claimed Madeleine was dead and questioned the McCanns' account that she was snatched from their holiday apartment in the resort of Praia da Luz on the Algarve as they ate dinner in a nearby restaurant.
The couple have successfully secured an injunction banning the further sale or publication of the book, which was about to be translated into English, and earlier this month Gerry McCann labelled the claims "unforgivable" and said that the false allegations had done immense damage to the search for his daughter.
"There's a lot of people in Portugal, who might have evidence, that believe Madeleine is dead," he said. "If people believe that, they won't search for her and they won't come forward with information."
He added: "I know for a fact people have been told Madeleine is dead. There is no evidence to support that and that is unforgivable."
The McCanns' Portuguese legal team confirmed that Amaral, who was removed from his position in charge of the inquiry after persistent criticism of his handling of the case, was being sued in a civil claim for the allegations in his book. "We are currently demanding €1.2m in damages," said Ed Smethurst, legal coordinator for the McCanns.
"But we are reserving the right to increase this value as soon as we can ascertain what profits have been generated from the sale of this book."
Public opinion in Portugal, initially sympathetic, has become increasingly hostile towards the couple since they were named arguidos, or official suspects, in September 2007, even after they were formally cleared of any involvement by Portuguese investigators in May last year.
It also emerged that the couple had hired a Portuguese PR firm to help improve their image with the locals. "It is very important that we can get the message across to the Portuguese media and the public that the search for Madeleine is continuing," said the couple's spokesman, Clarence Mitchell.
Although the McCanns' search for their daughter has taken on a lower profile, one of the private investigators who is now leading the hunt, the former detective Dave Edgar, said this month that he was sure Madeleine was alive and being held just 10 miles from where she was snatched.
Edgar added that the discovery of other missing girls who were presumed dead – like Jaycee Lee Dugard, Natascha Kampusch and Elisabeth Fritzl – support his theory that Madeleine is still alive.
"Maddie is most likely being held captive, possibly in an underground cellar, just like Natascha or Elisabeth, and could emerge at any time," he told a Belfast newspaper.
In May Kate McCann appeared on the Oprah Winfrey chatshow in the US and made an emotional appeal for help to find her daughter that was broadcast in 100 countries.
In the same month there was a flurry of interest when a British paedophile who had been living close to Praia da Luz when Madeleine disappeared was tracked to Germany and questioned.
Three months later Mitchell appealed for information on a woman descried as "a bit of a Victoria Beckham lookalike" who a witness had described as acting suspiciously in Barcelona three days after Madeleine disappeared. Both leads have so far come to nothing.
Tonight Mitchell said that the inquiry team had had more than 1,000 "pieces of information" regarding the woman spotted in Barcelona, which the detectives were working through.
He added that two further leads had taken investigators to Portugal in recent months, and that the campaign currently had enough money to continue the search until spring 2010.

The PR battle

From the earliest days following their daughter's disappearance in May 2007 Kate and Gerry McCann came under intense scrutiny over their dealings with the media.
Assisted at first by a press spokesman for the holiday company where they were staying, and later by Clarence Mitchell, then working on behalf of the Foreign Office, they were soon obliged to hire their own media team to deal with the sheer numbers of British, Portuguese and international media crowding outside the doors of their Algarve apartment and clamouring for comment on every step of the hunt for Madeleine.
Though the couple were careful to feed information to the British media, local newspaper and broadcasters felt they were not given the same access, and as criticism of the Portuguese police grew in British papers, they in turn began leaking prejudicial material to disgruntled local journalists.
By late summer 2007 the couple had already begun legal action against one local magazine, Tal e Qual, for falsely alleging they had been responsible for Madeleine's death.
Their support among the Portuguese population, always fragile, became openly hostile when the couple were named official suspects that September — Kate McCann was booed as she left the police station and they fled Portugal a few days later. Yesterday's visit was the first time she had returned since.
Mitchell left the Foreign Office to work as the couple's personal spokesman weeks later as some headlines in the UK became almost equally critical. The following March the McCanns accepted £550,000 in damages from Express Newspapers, for "grotesque and grossly defamatory" allegations, including that they had sold Madeleine, and were involved in swinging or wife swapping. They have since been formally cleared of any involvement in the crime.
In Portugal, however, there remains a widespread lack of sympathy and, among many, an open suspicion of the couple, which was fed by the publication of the former police chief Gonçalo Amaral's book A Verdade da Mentira (The Truth of the Lie) in July 2008. The McCanns' decision todayto speak privately to local rather than British media may be the first sign of a change in strategy from their new Lisbon PR advisers.
Esther Addley



Smethurst says they will possibly up the fine for Goncalo, when they know full sales total. YES!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/sep/23/kate-madeleine-mccann-portugal

I now think, after reading the latest of Kate´s interview , that what she is referring to in a turning point is this new approach to their PR and a new effort to gain sympathy in Portugal that was lost, thanks to Goncalo. And the reason for this is to encourage people there to come forward if they have information..

Another thought occurred to me. They are going to have one hell of a PR battle in Portugal if they really want to turn it around with the public there. So much harm and damage has been done by Goncalo and others both in Portugal and here in the UK. Also I remember saying that Kate, Bless her, is her own worst enemy when it comes to being interviewed by TV and the media, she suffers so much anguish from being in the public eye. And, mistakenly I also believe she was obviously told NOT to show any emotion when she was interviewed initially in PDL. Don´t give the abductor any satisfaction would have been the advice given by psychologists. Frankly I would rather she had shown emotion, as that is what the Portugese understand and can empathise with. Now many see her as cold, and conniving, rather than in anguish and fear. Such a pity. But maybe a good PR firm will manage to find the right approach. It was certainly a good idea for her to go to Portugal and face her demons (not all of them) and show courage. That appeals to the public there.
But get rid of Goncalo and his followers and fellow doubters of course!! Getting rid of his cohorts in crime is I believe in God´s hands.

rosemary wrote:I now think, after reading the latest of Kate´s interview , that what she is referring to in a turning point is this new approach to their PR and a new effort to gain sympathy in Portugal that was lost, thanks to Goncalo. And the reason for this is to encourage people there to come forward if they have information..

Hi Rosemary, I agree, that is how I am now reading it too.

hi rosemary....i thought the same as you when i heard 'a turning point in the search'

but i come to the same conclusion you did.

Im so gla they are suing gonc and im glad they went back to Portugal to.Gonc as to realise he might very well be in another country...but he is far from invincible and the mccanns will not let anyone put the search for their little girl at risk.

Good for them.I am 100% behind everything kate and gerry are doing.They have remained dignified through what must be the hardest thing a human being can go through.

Gonc and co have remained unprofessional and dam right rude and disrespectful to them... and imo he should be silenced...and if it means suing him, then so be it.

And before he even begins to suggest this case and/or the mccanns have caused stress or ruined his life(as his wife stated in a report just the other day) he should perhaps imagine how his behavior as made the mccanns feel over the last 28 months and how he as systimatically dragged thier names through hell and back without a care in the world and with no thought to what it is doing to the search for madeleine.